Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Article written by Mohandas Alva

M.A. Degree in English Literature from Manipal University, India.

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ by J. K. Rowling starts off with the announcement of an exciting event that is going to be conducted in Hogwarts, known as the Triwizard Tournament. A lot of guests from different magic schools stay at Hogwarts for this tournament, and as the year unfolds, Harry and his friends Hermione and Ron have to grapple with a lot of interesting yet dangerous situations and try to evade a lot of perils that come their way.

Key Facts about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Published: 8 July 2000
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Fantasy
• Point-of-View: Third Person, omniscient
• Setting: 1990s Great Britain
• Climax: When Harry Potter faces Lord Voldemort in Tom Riddle Sr.’s graveyard.
• Antagonist: Lord Voldemort

J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

J. K. Rowling spent a lot of time writing the story of ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ and has claimed in interviews that she knew beforehand that this book would be the largest of the first four. The paperback edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ is 636 pages long. She claimed that one of the major reasons for the vastness of the book is that Harry has a better sense of perspective, and his horizons have widened after growing up. Therefore, every part of the narrative is grander and on a larger scale than ever before. Furthermore, Rowling significantly expanded the world of magic by introducing schools of magic from around Europe and establishing that there are a lot more countries that are also significant members of the roster of wizards and witches.

Rowling faced great difficulty writing some of the chapters, especially the chapter titled the Dark Mark, and had to change several details after she realized that there was a major plot hole in the story. She also considered writing a character called Malfalda, who was a relative of the Weasleys and would eventually end up joining Slytherin and fulfill the role that eventually became Rita Skeeter’s. However, the final draft seemed like a tight-knit novel that finally made it to the publishing desk.

Books Related to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ is one of the longest Harry Potter books ever written and has a close connection with the books with rest of the series as what happens at the end of this book ties with the plot of the rest of the books. It is also closely connected to the three previous Harry Potter books as they are a part of the series, and their events lead to ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.’

Another book series that is very similar to ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It is a story of a girl named Katniss Everdeen who is ‘forcibly’ sent to play a very dangerous sport called the ‘Hunger Games’ and happens to be the underdog for long until she finally triumphs in the difficult challenges and ends up winning the Hunger Games.

Other similar books include ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, which are all books that contain magic and magical creatures, just like the Harry Potter series. The Legend of King Arthur too, is closely tied to the concept of the quest and the hardships the protagonist faces to achieve the ultimate goal.

The Lasting Impact of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire